DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This competing continuation proposal will provide an opportunity for selected residents in the neurology residency training programs of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Children's Hospital Boston (CHB) to participate for 6 to 24 months in an intensive, mentored, research educational experience during the third year of residency and subsequent fellowship years. This training will be designed to prepare participating residents for successful competition for independent mentored research awards, and will facilitate the transition from resident/fellow to clinician-scientist. Each participant will work with one of 52 mentors, who have been recruited from the faculties of CHB, BIDMC, and Harvard Medical School (HMS). All have active NIH funding and a history of training clinician-scientists. The proposed mentors cover all major areas of the clinical and basic neurosciences, and include 30 investigators from CHB, 12 investigators from BIDMC, four investigators from HMS and six investigators from other Harvard and Harvard Hospital affiliates. Thirty-three of these investigators are engaged in clinical/translational neuroscience research and nineteen conduct basic neuroscience research. Mentors have been drawn not only from the Departments of Neurology/Neurobiology, but also from Divisions/Departments of Cell Biology, Genetics, Cardiology, Neuropathology, Neuroradiology, Neurosurgery, Developmental Medicine, and Psychiatry. Selected resident participants will learn state-of-the- art laboratory skills and will acquire the critical expertise necessary for the conduct of responsible research. Data collected and analyzed will serve for publications as well as for future NIH proposals. The program will be governed by a Steering Committee consisting of the PD/PIs, the Department Chairs, and the Residency Directors of the participating residency programs. This Committee will work together to recruit and select trainees, to monitor their progress, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the training experience.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Illnesses affecting the nervous system remain a great challenge to medical research. The discovery of the causes of these illnesses, leading to earlier diagnosis and better treatments, requires research that relies increasingly on conceptual complexities and sophisticated methodologies. Our R25 program seeks to develop researchers who can combine the clinical expertise obtained during residency with a well-developed and focused investigative research program. Neurology residents are keenly aware of the problems that need to be solved and are especially motivated and energized to solve them. The CHB/BIDMC residency program combines both adult and child neurology within an environment that has great breadth and depth in basic and clinical neuroscience. Mentors chosen for the R25 include leading NIH funded basic cellular and molecular neuroscientists, as well as successful physician scientists actively engaged in clinical and basic neuroscience and experienced in, and eager to train physician scientists. The main focus of the proposed program will be to prepare physicians for independent and competitive research.